Francesco Occhetta, born on May 26, 1970, in Novara, is a Jesuit. He served as a municipal councilor for the Municipality of Romentino from 1990 to 1995. From April 1995 to 1996, he carried out civil service at Caritas di Novara in the association for the elderly called Telesoccorso.   

Francesco Occhetta graduated in Law (public law) from the State University of Milan, with a thesis in Canon Law titled “Le Costituzioni della Compagnia di Gesù e la revisione del loro diritto interno”. On October 20, 1996, he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in Genoa.  

He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the Aloisianum Philosophical Institute, affiliated with the Pontifical Gregorian University, from October 1998 to 2000. His thesis was titled “Dal contrattualismo di Rousseau al neocontrattualismo di Rawls”.  

From October 2000 to September 2002, he worked for two years in the editorial committee of the magazine “Aggiornamenti Sociali” and volunteered at the San Vittore prison. In June 2001, he obtained a specialization in Human Rights from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Padua, with a thesis on new immigrations, which was published by the university.  

Francesco Occhetta has been registered as a freelance journalist since 2002. From October 2002 to September 2005, he studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and lived in the theologate of the International College of the Society of Jesus in Rome. He volunteered at the Centro Astalli and the “Bambino Gesù” Hospital in Rome.  

He specialized in Moral Theology at the Comillas University in Madrid from October 2005 to September 2007. Since October 2007, he has been a member of the College of Writers of the magazine “La Civiltà Cattolica,” focusing on social and legal issues. 

 Francesco Occhetta has been a national consultant for the Italian Catholic Press Union (UCSI) since January 2010. In June 2010, he obtained a doctorate in Moral Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University with a thesis titled “I pricìpi etici nella Costituzione italiana. I costituenti cattolici e i gesuiti della Civiltà Cattolica sulla formazione dei princìpi costituzionali della repubblica italiana” (Ethical Principles in the Italian Constitution. The Catholic Constituents and the Jesuits of La Civiltà Cattolica on the formation of constitutional principles of the Italian Republic).  

He became a professional journalist registered with the Order of Lazio in January 2011. From January to August 2011, he lived in Chile. From August 2011 to June 2020, he was part of the magazine “La Civiltà Cattolica.”  

From 2018 to 2021, Francesco Occhetta served as the educational director of the courses on the Social Doctrine of the Church at the Centesimus Annus pro Pontifice Foundation. He has been coordinating the political formation journey “Comunità di Connessioni” since 2009 and is the director of its publication.  

He has taught at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy, San Luigi Section. Currently, he teaches at the Pontifical Gregorian University in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Since May 2021, he has been collaborating with Cardinal Mauro Gambetti at the Basilica of St. Peter.